NAples Chamber Blog

NAPLES, FL – The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Collier County Commissioners selected PANIRA Healthcare Clinic, Inc. as the Business of the Month for July 2018.

Each month, the award is presented to an organization that has enhanced the community through financial, volunteer and active involvement in organizations and programs that assist in creating a better quality of life for all citizens in Collier County.

The Board of Collier County Commissioners and Bethany Sawyer, membership engagement specialist, Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce presented Owner and Founder Lawrence Egger and Development & Marketing Director Rachel Henderson with a commemorative plaque at the July 10, 2018 County Commission meeting.

PANIRA Healthcare Clinic, located in East Naples, is working on closing the access gap and promoting health equality amongst all including our most needy. Founded in 2015 by husband and wife team, Lawrence and Geneve Egger, the clinic’s mission is to provide quality healthcare and equal access to anyone in the community, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, income, education, geographic location, disability, or sexual orientation in a manner that is comprehensive, current, and culturally appropriate.

PANIRA provides primary care, express care, medical screenings, wellness exams and walk-in services to all ages. Their organization makes a special effort to help patients from all cultural backgrounds feel accepted, welcomed, respected, and valued in the clinic. From its inception, PANIRA began promoting affordable healthcare through a self-pay, sliding fee scale for uninsured working and unemployed individuals. They also accept insurances.

Personal Community Enhancement ActivitiesPANIRA Healthcare Clinic constantly treats patients with uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes who are unable to pay for lab or diagnostic testing along with uninsured children or adults with acute healthcare needs. The clinic’s providers also treat patients with complex medical conditions and are working on building a broader referral network of specialists to address special medical needs. They are also working on offering specialty services during a second free clinic day each month.

Since January 2017, PANIRA began providing a monthly free clinic on the second Wednesday of each month. This free clinic provides access to healthcare for patients of all ages who are uninsured and who cannot afford the fees charged by the clinic. In 2016, PANIRA Healthcare Clinic treated 1,568 patients and in 2017, they more than doubled the number of patients treated to 3,976. Providing this care is especially important to the founders, as Geneve experienced the hardships and struggle to navigate the healthcare system in Collier County when she was unemployed and uninsured.